Coming Home
by taylortot
Summary: An AU where Seiya hadn't come back to the park the day after Amaburi reached 500,00 visitors.


It was probably the worst possible day he could have chosen to finally visit Amaburi since the day he left, but once his resolve had strengthened, it would have taken a nuclear war to stop him from coming. The rain thundered down from the sky in sheets of gray; all the other guests were huddled inside pavilions or under umbrellas, but the atmosphere was still bouyant, and laughter was mixed into the sounds of the pounding rain.

Even though he wasn't a part of this anymore, Seiya felt a surge of pride swell in his chest, and satisfaction that the park was still successful, even without his guidance. This is what he had prepared it for anyway, right? This was what he had wanted.

He was sitting on a bench under the awning near the entrance, almost grateful that it was raining so hard. It had been sheer dumb luck that he hadn't run into anyone who had noticed or seen him yet and though he'd come today, he was still wary about seeing the people he used to work so closely with. An especially anxious flutter nudged at him when he thought about Sento, and a slight dose of guilt when Latifa crossed his mind.

But that was silly, wasn't it?

He cringed at that thought. _Silly_. Seiya hadn't ever wanted to have that word assigned to any of his actions, and yet here he was assigning it to himself. How pathetic.

The rain droned on, though it lightened considerably. Guests began moving about the park again, their plastic ponchos pulled over their heads, smiles on their faces. The sun was starting its descent and the wind began to pick up slightly, so Seiya knew that the temperature was dropping again tonight. Now that summer was over, the park would be closing earlier, which was good. If he was going to try and catch some of his old employees, then it would be best to wait until the number of guests had decreased.

He ate croquettes as a dinner, licking his fingers when he was done, savoring the favor. He'd missed this. It was perhaps too late to visit Latifa tonight, he thought, with a shocking pang of longing. Latifa had made talking so comfortable, so easy. She had always been smiling at him, comforting him, cheering him on. While he couldn't have reached Amagi's visitor goal without the help of the entire staff, it was Latifa that fueled them all. It was her hope and her truest belief that they'd win that the miracle occurred at all.

He'd admit that she was what pushed him to save the park the most. The urgency, the desperation, to not fail her again had driven him absolutely insane that last week - if he wasn't so proud, he could have cried at their resulting success. He'd saved her.

Her comfort had put him at ease in the same way that his sister could. He missed having a friend like that.

"Kanie-kun?"

Seiya looked up sharply at the sound of her voice, quiet and strong as it had always been. She was wearing the red arm band that he had worn for those three months as manager, and it shouldn't have surprised him that she was in charge - it had only been a month since he left, after all, and she was the most capable person he'd ever met. Her hair was damp, loose ends falling out of her ponytail, her ribbon drooping while she stood under that red umbrella. Her delicate mouth was parted, the surprised arch of her eyebrows hidden behind the fringe of her bronze bangs.

She was prettier than he remembered. How was that possible?

Her sudden appearance abruptly threw him off his guard and he felt terribly vulnerable as he shot to his feet, his face warm, tongue clumsy. "Sento!"

Sento Isuzu blinked, her hand tightening around the handle of her umbrella, before a general pleasantness entered her expression. "It's been a while, Kanie-kun. I didn't expect to see you here."

He stared at her, trying to find words, hating himself for every second she left him speechless. "Hi," he said stupidly, his face going up in flames.

Her eyes crinkled and she smiled, sounding as though she was holding back a laugh. "Hello." She smiled a lot more easily than he remembered, too.

Trying to salvage what was left of his dignity, he straightened his shoulders and cleared his throat, his chin in the air - as if she was going to buy that. "I was just curious to see how the park was doing. Despite my absence, everything seems to be in order, in which case, I'm happy to say that all of you learned from the best. Good for you."

She stared. "I think so too," she replied, and he couldn't be sure if she was being sarcastic or not.

"Then my work here is done," he nodded, though he wasn't an idiot. She didn't believe anything he said when his voice took on that superior tone, and he knew it. He didn't know when she'd figured it out, had seen behind the mask.

She barely let him finish his sentence before she spoke. "I'm just making my night rounds before we close. Would you like to join me? I'm sure everyone else would like to see you again."

He hesitated, and she felt it, he knew she did, and she didn't let him back out of this. Sento kept her eyes pinned to him as she came closer and offered her umbrella, something that brought a blush to both of their cheeks.

"You've never been exactly normal," she said, watching him, "but you're acting a bit strangely, Kanie-kun."

He stepped under her umbrella. "I think you're reading too much into it," he told her with a bit of embarrassment tinging his voice.

She turned her gaze away and they started walking down the path. "Mm. Maybe."

They walked through puddles as they made the night rounds. All the employees that saw Seiya stopped to say hi with gratitude and reverence on their faces and while he was pleased that they thought so highly of him, he wished they'd given a little more credit to themselves, too. Moffle waved from a distance, and Seiya waved back, which felt like plenty of acknowledgement on both their parts.

Sento walked slightly behind Seiya, and when the rain stopped completely she folded up the umbrella and tucked it under her arm. When the reached the farthest building in the park, he stopped and looked at her over his shoulder, feeling a little bit confused.

"The manager of such a successful park shouldn't be following behind me," he said, raising an eyebrow.

She seemed jolted by the statement before she struggled to appear casual. "Old habits die hard," she told him simply. "Latifa-sama has family visiting her tonight, but I'm sure she'd be glad to see you, Kanie-kun. Would you like to stop by to see her?"

Family? Yikes. "Ahh," he shook his head as she stepped up to his side. "That's alright. I can always come back to see her again."

Sento brightened a bit, and he wondered what he'd said to have made her look so content. She'd been so hard to read when he first met her - somehow a perfect match to his narcissism and outspoken attitude with her unmoveable resolve and quiet passion. It had taken him a while to notice but she'd changed over the course of those two months he'd spent everyday with her.

"We'd all like that," she told him, as if answering his unspoken question. "For you to come back and visit again."

He felt a bit flustered again - is this what it was to have friends? It was both uncomfortable and exhilarating, he decided, unsure of how to handle the idea of having friends. No one had ever been able to stand him long enough to form a meaningful relationship with him, and he did it on purpose, most of the time. This. . .Amagi Brilliant Park was something he'd never anticipated.

They finished Sento's rounds and they stood by the gates awkwardly after she had tucked her umbrella into the box office, both of them unsure of what to say, which felt unusual for Seiya. He always had words, and it frustrated him that she could take those away.

"Would you like to stay for dinner, Kanie-kun?" she asked him unexpectedly, meeting his gaze.

"I didn't bring any extra money," he hedges, his heart thumping erratically, his face going warm again.

She shook her head and tucked one side of her bangs back behind her ear in a surprisingly girlish gesture, a hint of a smile on her face. "No, I mean, I'll make dinner. If you want."

He blinked and before his rational thoughts could catch up to his tongue, he said, "Alright." He was hungry after all, and there wasn't much to eat back home anyway.

She was strangely calm about this, he thought as he followed her back to her apartment. She locked the gates and then lead the way, both of them greeting those they'd missed on their rounds He'd never seen Sento's living quarters before, or any girls' living quarters for that matter, and he was . . . nervous. He didn't know how to predict her and she just seemed so calm and measured, as if she'd done this a thousand times. Wasn't she just as inexperienced with. . .with this as he was? Why did it come so easy to her when he felt like a fish out of water?

Sento brought them to a row of housing on the far side of the park, and stepped up to the very first door on the right. Seiya stood behind her as she unlocked the door, finding himself unexpectedly mesmerized by the back of her neck. Loose hair clung to her skin there, damp from the rain, and he didn't know why it made his stomach flip to notice it, but he licked his lips and stared. The door opened and she glanced at him over her shoulder, breaking his trance.

"Don't be afraid to make yourself at home, Kanie-kun," she said as she side stepped to let him in first. He walked into the entrance and kicked off his shoes, trying to get a hold of his rampant thoughts. "I'm going to change out of my uniform, and then I'll start dinner."

"Mm," he muttered in response. She toed out of her shoes as he stood there in the entryway a bit awkwardly, and then watched her as she scurried to her closet, grabbed a couple articles of clothes, and retreated to the bathroom to change. It was only after the door had closed behind her that he tucked his hands into his pockets and stepped onto the carpet of her studio apartment.

Her room was very plain. The walls were white with seldom anything on them, the bed made neatly, her desk in the corner organized and filed impressively - everything he expected from her. The kitchenette was tucked into the corner, a TV perched on her dresser and a small table in the middle of the room. He turned around in a slow circle, committing every nook and cranny to memory, in case this would be the only time she let him in here.

Though everything in her room was very clear cut, there was a photograph on her bedside table of her and two older people who looked like her. She was decked out in ribbons and awards and the smile on her face in the photo was so shockingly genuine that his heart skipped a beat.

The bathroom door open and he spun on his heel quickly to face her as Sento emerged, dressed in a skirt and a long-sleeved shirt with the words of some academy sprawled against a logo decorated with swords. Her hair was pinned up out of the way, stray hairs falling loose from the bun, and she was barefoot. He probably stared, but he couldn't help it - he'd never seen her in such casual dress before.

"You can change, too, if you want," she said as she swiftly made her way to the kitchenette and rifled around in the cupboards. "You look a little damp. I set out a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt that should fit you just fine in the bathroom." She pulled a bag of rice out and began to fiddle with the rice cooker.

"Mm," he replied, surprised. "Thanks."

:::::

The clothes she let him borrow were warm and very dry. While dinner cooked, they sat on the floor at Sento's table and Seiya tried his best to find out what exactly he wanted to say to her.

"Is that your parents?" he finally said, pointing to the picture frame he'd been admiring earlier.

She didn't even follow his finger to know what he was talking about. "Yes. The day I graduated from the Academy back in Maple Land." Her calm facade was as still as ever as she tucked her knees to her chest and stared at the wall.

"Ah."

That was about it for conversation and it wouldn't have been so bad if Seiya hadn't sensed that there was something left unspoken between them. Outside, a peel of thunder shook the apartment building and he watched the timer on the rice cooker in frustration.

They ate dinner quietly, making small talk that was boring both of them to tears, though the smiled about it pleasantly. When they'd finished, Seiya stood awkwardly, unaware of the anxiety she carried on her shoulders.

"I can return your clothes tomorrow, Sento."

"Mm," she replied, standing as well. She followed him to the door and they lingered for a moment after he had his shoes back on. "I don't have an umbrella."

He shook his head, almost smiling. "No worries." There was another prolonged moment and then he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Have a good night."

She opened the door and nodded her head. "Mm. You too, Kanie-kun."

The door seemed to slam shut a little harder that need be when he walked out, but he couldn't let himself pause enough to think about it.

He didn't know what happened. One moment, he was on course for the bus stop, but before he could fully realize where his feet were taking him, he was drenched from the rain, standing in the dim porch light at Sento Isuzu's door, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. He raised his fist and knocked, fighting to let his pride down, because he knew she didn't buy it anyway. It was cruel, he thought, to keep her from the truth. Seiya didn't want to lie to her anymore.

Sento opened the door, her usually stoic expression turning into surprise for the second time that night at the sight of his face. He felt like he was flying and falling all at once and it was terrible, terrible, but his breath was coming fast and his heart was drumming strong in his chest and he stood there in the rain with his heart on his sleeve, for probably the first time in his life.

"You came back," she stated before stepping back as if to let him in. "Are you insane? What are you doing, Kanie-kun?"

He shook his head, afraid that if he crossed the threshold of her doorway he wouldn't be able to speak from his heart. "It's been a long two months, Isuzu," he shouted over the rumble of thunder. "I thought about this park every minute of every day. I - I thought about you! That last time I saw you, I was too afraid to tell you what I wanted! Working at this park - meeting Latifa, meeting you, and working together with everyone here - was the best thing that ever happened to me. And I let it go, and I'll never forgive myself for that!"

She stared at him, her face losing its rigidity, turning pink and warm. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I'm sorry! I'm saying that I want to see you again - every day, just like before! I'm saying - !" He cut off, his face red, his body hot from the extent of his embarrassment, before he continued. "I'm saying I want to work here again!"

A smile lit up her face, small and low like a candle, but beautiful all the same. Maybe it was the way the water shined off the rain, that made her glow, or maybe it was just her. Even though he was flustered beyond comfort, he was glad he'd said those words, was glad he could put this smile on her face in this moment, for however brief a time it would be.

"Kanie-kun, we'd love to have you back as manager, if you'll take it."

He grinned at her through the sheets of rain. "I'll see you in the morning in the office, Sento." He turned on his heel to walk away, giddy with relief and yet still bogged by his effort to be humble, when her voice stopped him, closer than before.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Kanie-kun?" she asked and he spun around to see her standing right behind him, the rain soaking through her dry clothes, making them cling to her, her hair sticking wetly to her face.

He blinked the rainwater out of his eyes. "Eh?"

She seemed to pause and he was about to ask what was wrong but her hands hooked in the soaked material of the sweatshirt she loaned him and leaned onto her tip toes. Her lips crushed against his, a bit awkwardly, a bit perfectly, and despite how cold the rain was, she was hot.

Sento pulled away only a few seconds after initiating the kiss. "Goodni-"

Seiya cupped her face with his hands, drawing her back in as he leaned down to kiss her. It was probably a stupid idea to be doing this in the rain, but there was also magic in it. She made a surprised noise at his sudden aggressiveness, but soon melted into him, kissing him back tenderly at first, pressing harder when he growled in the back of his throat - a sound that was very unlike the Kanie Seiya she knew. It sent warmth to the pit of her stomach and put her hands at his waist, clenching in the sweatshirt, until he parted from her, his mouth lingering at the corner of her lips.

"M-Mm," he mumbled, a bit breathlessly, almost too quiet to be heard over the rain. "Goodnight, Isuzu."

He was gone then, racing back toward the bus stop through the downpour. Sento stood there for what seemed like several long minutes before she could move. She entered the house and shut the door behind her, leaning on it, feeling the puddle that grew beneath her feet as she rested there, heart racing erratically.

She didn't know it was possible to feel so much pain from something as sweet as a kiss, but she traced her mouth with her fingers delicately, and remembered the way he'd held her. That definitely had been more than just sweet, she thought, her stomach bottoming out.

Sento smiled to herself, and then changed again into dry clothes, before tying her hair up and crawling into bed. 8 am couldn't come soon enough.


End file.
